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Maddy Strauss

My very first experience with yoga was in 1998. I instantly fell in love just after my first class. I had been lifting weights, jogging, and cycling for ten years before that and started feeling the stress on my joints. When I found hot yoga, I knew I had found the perfect balance of physical intensity and mind stilling meditation that I craved. What began as a physical journey became so much more. When I am on my yoga mat the outside world disappears, it is my time to celebrate and nurture myself. Practicing Hot Yoga has improved my life on so many different levels it’s hard to imagine life without it now.  Because I believe in hot yoga so passionately, I feel the obligation to share it with the rest of the world.  I decided to learn to teach and teach to learn in 2006; it was the best decision I ever made.  My classes are designed to keep my students physically and mentally challenged but at the same time designed to allow ourselves the opportunity to let go of the ego and work with our inner strength and our hearts.  I have completed courses on teaching yoga for seniors and also gentle yoga for breast cancer survivors. I offer detox classes, classes for weight loss, private one on one and semi-private classes, guided meditation classes for stress and anxiety, and love teaching beginners.

Sanaa

Sanaa is a a certified yoga instructor (RYT 200) and the owner of My Yoga, an award-winning yoga studio in Durham, North Carolina. Located in Southwest Durham, My Yoga offers several styles of hot and traditional yoga in a supportive, healthy, non-competitive environment.

With years of experience as a studio teacher and facilitator of yoga programs at community and corporate institutions, Sanaa’s approach to teaching yoga is rooted in love, energy, balance, self-discovery, and flow.

She was featured in the 2026 BET series 28 Days of Black History which celebrated her yoga poses and approach to wellness, nature, and self-care.

Her name, Sanaa (pronounced SUH-NAY), is a Swahili word meaning “work of art,” which inspires her movements and informs her expressive approach to yoga.

Allison Willet

Allison Willet has been teaching yoga for six years and is certified in Bikram, Yin, and Aerial yoga. She is a professional musician and has taught music lessons for almost 20 years. It was easy for Allison to transfer her knowledge as a music educator to the instruction of yoga. In her class, you will notice a focus on anatomy and how you can personally benefit from practicing he 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises that we call the beginning Bikram series.

Allison graduated summa cum laude from Appalachian State University with a degree in violin performance. She went on to graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and earned a master’s degree in violin performance.

After struggling with chronic pain from playing the violin from an early age, Allison started the journey of hot yoga. She also tore an ACL and through the journey of surgery and rehab, has an extensive understanding of knee injuries.

Bikram yoga is for everybody and can even help you heal from injury.

Bryan Bushick

Bryan’s yoga journey started with Baptiste Yoga nearly 20 years ago while living in Pennsylvania. It has since broadened to include hot yoga, vinyasa flow, and traditional Hatha yoga, and deepened in 2018 through completion of his 200-hour Teacher Training at y Respira in Raleigh. Benefiting in so many ways from yoga, Bryan is committed to extending his practice – on and off the mat – as well as to facilitating the experience (and transformation) of other students. A physician by training, Bryan appreciates the importance of the mind-body connection and applies insights regarding our anatomy and physiology. With children pursuing their college and post-graduate education elsewhere, he resides in Durham with his spouse Carolina and dog, Izzi.

Chantale LaCasse

I took my first Hot 26 class in February 2002, at a time of high stress in my professional life. I immediately felt the mental benefits of practice and finding calm on my mat, and I loved the physical challenge. The Hot 26 never gets old: there is always something new to learn, an instruction that finally clicks, a new muscle that engages, or a feeling of calm that emerges for the first time in a posture.

After over ten years of practicing the Hot 26, I began taking classes in other styles, including Vinyasa Flow and Ashtanga. I also began to practice more of the postures from the “full 84” hot yoga series. I attended teacher training for the Hot 26 in 2018 and for Vinyasa Flow in 2019. I completed advanced training in 2023, improving my understanding of anatomy, yoga history, philosophy, meditation, advanced postures, and breathing practice.

As a teacher, I aim to meet all students exactly where they are and to nurture them on their own personal journey. I like to think outside the box to help each student practice, whether working through injury, physical limitation, emotional trauma, or striving for the next level. I love to bring energy to group classes, and I also love to work one-on-one.

I look forward to seeing you on your mat.

Debbie Morse

I began doing yoga in 1998 after a dance injury, and through that introduction regained my strength and balance, as well as recovery from chronic back pain. I certified to teach initially with Esther Myers of toronto in 2001. I have recently completed 500 hour certification with Tiffany Cruikshank’s Yoga Medicine’s training with focus on the shoulder, spine, hip, sacroiliac, myofascial research, and yoga for athletes.

Forever a student, I have layered my practice and teaching with vinyasa flow, power yoga  yoga for seniors, and restorative styles. I am a retired Family Nurse Practitioner, and carry on a deep interest in the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of health that yoga provides. I also published “Yoga for Asthma” in the International Association of Yoga Therapists journal in 2007.

My intention is to help you find joy, comfort, and health through the practice of breath and movement that is yoga.

Karin St. Pierre

Teaching has always been a passion of mine. I taught college-level English for nearly 30 years in Palm Beach Country, florida, where I was born and raised. I began my fitness journey in the early 1980s teaching “aerobic classes” at a local gym. Years later, after raising a some and earning a PhD in Education, my personal fitness trainer suggested I try hot yoga. And, I did. I walked into the stifling hot room and thought I’d never make it through the 26 postures, most of which I had never ever seen. However, something about the regimen, the sweat, the rigor, and the sheer challenge captured me! From that first class, I began 5-6 day a week practice.

This year will mark my 16th anniversary practicing hot yoga. Five years ago, I participated in a teacher training apprenticeship program at a local yoga studio which launched my journey as a yoga instructor.

Teaching and practicing the hot 26 and 2 classes are my first love, but I also have a great passion for yin and hot vinyasa flow.

Kate Pannone

I believe you find yoga when you need it.  I found it at a point when I was on the cusp of big changes, and I was struggling to find my way.  I grew up very active with gymnastics, so I immediately felt at home when I found yoga.  I love being able to move whichever way I want.  As much good as yoga does for me physically; it does more mentally.  At a young age, I was prone to anxiety and worry.  Through the practice, I figure out how to be happy with myself.  I find the strength to change and grow and the patience to accept and wait.

Early in my practice, I knew I wanted to make yoga my life.  I went to Bikram’s teacher training in Spring 2012, Yin Yoga training in July 2016, and Inferno Pilates training in Spring 2020.  Teaching has added a whole new level to my practice.  I learn to communicate effectively and efficiently, understand how the body moves, and watch yoga change lives.  I practiced through both of my pregnancies, which was beneficial for my body and mind and fascinating to experience a constantly changing self.

During the pandemic, I struggled to balance self-care with childcare. It’s been a journey of learning to do yoga at home with my kids swirling chaos around me.  While I know and proved to myself a home practice can be done with integrity, I believe a dedicated studio adds an element to practice.

When I’m not practicing, I enjoy taking long walks in the woods with my dog and daughters, reading books, crocheting, and learning new things, like gardening, archery, and sign language.

Shelly Starling

Shelly received her 200-hour yoga teaching certification in 2017 and is trained in vinyasa, hot 26, gentle, restorative, and yin yoga. With an associate degree in Health and Fitness Science, she brings a well-rounded understanding of movement and wellness to her teaching.

In addition to her love of yoga, Shelly enjoys weightlifting, barre classes, and walking her dogs. She believes yoga is for everyone and is passionate about helping each student experience the joy and freedom it brings to both body and mind.